MOTORSPORT: At age 21, some budding motorsport drivers are just starting to move up the ranks.

Warwick driver Matt Campbell has already "made it” in the sport - he is competing in this year's V8 Supercars enduro series. He and Todd Kelly started at Sandown with 7th and are competing this weekend for Nissan Motorsport in the Bathurst 1000.

In one V8 practice session at Bathurst, Matt had the fastest time for a non-Ford or Holden in ending up 11th. He again secured pole in the Porsche Carrera Cup and won race 1 on Friday by more than two seconds to extend his series lead.

Motorsport photographer Darin Mandy, a family friend of the Campbells, has followed the career of Matt for the past decade and tips a bright future for the young driver.

"My first memory of Matt was watching him play in a go kart at Morgan Park Raceway and then first compete in super sprints as a junior,” he said.

His first car was a yellow Datsun called Daisy and he is still racing the same car at Morgan Park.

"He was shy at the start but handled the car really well,” Mandy said.

Matt then graduated to Formula Ford racing and won his first Queensland title in CAMS state championship racing at Morgan Park.

He has also enjoyed success in historic racing driving Frank Marshall's Formula 2, a car in which he also shared state super sprint title success.

"People have been talking about Matt's potential since he started racing,” Mandy said.

"He has a lot of natural ability but is eager to learn.

"Andy McElrea, from McElrea Racing has been magnificent for Matt. He took over a lot more responsibility for Matt's career after the death of his grandfather Bill Campbell last year. In the past 18 months, Matt has matured into an international driver.”

This year, he has already represented Porsche Carrera Cup Australia in the Porsche Supercup Junior Program in Germany.

Mandy said there were a lot of people involved in motorsport teams watching the progress of Matt.

"Matt performed better than what is expected of a co-driver when he debuted in the wet in the Sandown 500 endurance race.

Co-drivers are only expected to keep the car out of trouble and maintain position before handing it back to the main driver Todd Kelly.”

In looking back on the first years of Matt's career, Mandy said his grandfather Bill Campbell might have been in the background but was guiding his grandson along the right path to a professional racing career.

"Bill and the whole family have made a lot of sacrifices to help Matt forge a career in motorsport,” Mandy said.

"He is a quiet achiever but doesn't get really emotional like some drivers: Matt is calm and very personable.

"I definitely believe Matt can help boost the profile of motorsport in the Warwick area with a long career as a professional driver.”

If he didn't concentrate on motorsport, Matt could have achieved in other sports.

Despite his motorsport focus, Matt made five Darling Downs hockey teams at primary and secondary school levels through his years at Warwick West State School and Warwick State High School.

Matt's Time Line

1995: Born in Warwick

2001: Started primary school at Warwick West State School

2006: Made first regional hockey team

2008: Started year 8 at Warwick State High School

2011: Started racing seriously at Morgan Park

2012: Won Formula Ford State Championship

2013: Competed in his first national series, Formula Ford

2014: Won Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Class B

2015: Third overall in first season in national Porsche Carrera Cup series

2015: Won trip to Germany to drive Porsche cars on ice

2016: Took the series lead in Porsche Carrera Cup

2016: Debuted in V8s with Todd Kelly

2016: Represented Australia in Porsche Supercup Junior Program in Germany